Exciting news!

I reached the bakery on time and entered from the back door. The work had already started. This bakery was Mrs. Jenkins, a kind old lady who offered me a job when I had nothing on me. I had no experience of working. I was searching for a job at everyplace but no-one was willing to take me without any prior experience. It was Mrs. Jenkins who saw my plight and offered me a job here. When I started here, I was incharge of organising the stuff here and I would do all kinds of menial things to help out. Then my interest in cooking and baking started to increase. I talked to Mrs. Jenkins who offered to teach me after we had done our work. I would quickly work and then she started teaching me how to bake cookies and cakes. With time, I learned to make it on my own. It turned out quite fine after a few tries and since then I started baking along with Mrs. Jenkins. When I had started here it was a little bakery with only Mrs. Jenkins and me but over time it started growing popular that we had have to renovate it and make it larger. The workload also started increasing that we both were not able to keep up even after working extra hours so we decided to hire new staff to help us out. Now we were four here, Mrs. Jenkins, me, Stella and Marx. Stella was in her thirties and married. She has 3 kids. She had wanted to work after her kids grew a bit older, said she would crazy all day staying in the house after they went school. She was a good Baker and had heard about us. She came here with her cookies and they were so delicious that Mrs. Jenkins hired her on the spot. Marx was a young kid of about 17, he was trying to find a job to save for his college. He was a nice young chap so Mrs. Jenkins offered him a job as a delivery man. Our shop had grown much and we has started accepting deliveries from the people who wanted to have our cookies but couldn't come here. The arrangement worked quite well for us. Now it was Stella and I who baked and Mrs. Jenkins supervised us and took care of all other business matters and deliveries and Marx was our little delivery man. He was efficient and a hardworker. Thus bakery was a safe haven for me. I had wanted to do something my whole life but couldn't do it because of my family. This bakery gave me the freedom I had wanted my whole life. It was hectic but I loved working here.

"Stella dear, you are doing it wrong." I heard Mrs. Jenkins inspecting Stella's work who was making a big cookie dough.

"Yes Mrs. Jenkins. I am trying to improve." Stella was sweating with all the work.

Mrs. Jenkins was about to reply when She saw me and a big smile broke on his face.

"Sophie, dear." She was coming towards me.

"How are you, dear? You look tired." Mrs. Jenkins gave me a worried look, inspecting my face clearly.

"Mrs. Jenkins I am fine. How are you? You look lovely today." She was indeed looking looking lovely wearing a cute polka dotted dress. Her white hair was in a low bun and her wrinkly sweet face was looking radiant.

"I am great, Sophie dear. Thank you for your kind words for this old lady." She said thankfully with a big smile on her face.

"How many times have I told you you are not old? You are far energetic and radiant than anyone of us here." Mrs. Jenkins flushed and Stella gave a little laugh.

"She is right, Mrs. Jenkins.It's me who is really old here" Stella agreed with me. She was laughing and kneeding the dough tirelessly. Stella was herself a beauty with a curvy body to kill for and a beautiful round face with her golden red hair, now hidden in a mask for hygiene purposes. I had already put my apron and my hair mask and was ready to get started. Today, We had a lot of work to do. Every Monday, we prepare the dough for all our cookies which we use throughout the week. It is kept quite fresh and we bake the cookies everyday fresh in the morning. The cakes are also made beforehand and when we receive the order we decorate it accordingly. Since Stella was making the dough, I would better start preparing the cakes. I had checked the booking and we had many cakes due today. I was going to get the materials for cakes when Mrs. Jenkins stopped me,

"You flatter me ladies. Now Enough about me. I had a great news to share with you ladies. You ladies would be happy to hear that we have received rather a big order today." Oh that is the reason Mrs. Jenkins was looking so happy today. It really was great that we were receiving a large order, the business had been low these few days. This would give us a boost and it really made me happy.

" That's great Mrs. Jenkins. We would be more than happy to get started on it as soon as possible." I assured her looking quite happy myself.

"Yeah Yeah Mrs. Jenkins. That's great." Stella looked excited.

"Thank you ladies. I don't know what I would do without you. You girls are saviours." Mrs. Jenkins looked earnest.

"But it is going to be a lot of work. You would have to work extra hours for few days to complete it. I know it is an inconvenience but trust me girls, You would be rewarded nicely." She had a heart of gold and we always reached a bonus after a big project.

" That's very nice of you. And we would be happy to get started and complete this project." Stella and I we both echoed together. We loved baking and putting a few hours didn't hurt and we get paid nicely. So it was a win-win situation for you.

" But Stella, What about your kids? Who is going to be with them after school. You wouldn't be able to go today and Sophie and Marx had school." Mrs. Jenkins was getting worried on how to make it work.

" Don't worry Mrs. Jenkins. My husband can watch the kids for today." Stella didn't break her rhythm and was kneading the dough.

I turned to Mrs. Jenkins, " I will come too after my classes. I don't have many classes today." Mrs. Jenkins gave a visible sigh of relief.

With all that sorted out, we all got to work.